1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic spinning(electrospinning) apparatus for mass-producing nano fibers, and a process for preparing a nonwoven fabric using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional electrospinning apparatus and a process for preparing a non-woven fabric using the same have been disclosed under U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,404. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional electrospinning apparatus of the patent '404 includes: a spinning dope main tank 1 for storing a spinning dope; a metering pump 2 for quantitatively supplying the spinning dope; a plurality of nozzles for discharging the spinning dope; a collector 6 positioned at the lower end of the nozzles, for collecting the spun fibers; a voltage generator 11 for generating a voltage; and a plurality of instruments for transmitting the voltage to the nozzles and the collector 6.
The conventional process for preparing the non-woven fabric using the electronic spinning apparatus will now be described in detail. The spinning dope of the spinning dope main tank 1 is consecutively quantitatively provided to the plurality of nozzles supplied with a high voltage through the metering pump 2.
Continuously, the spinning dope supplied to the nozzles is spun and collected on the collector 6 supplied with the high voltage through the nozzles, thereby forming a single fiber web.
Continuously, the single fiber web is embossed or needle-punched to prepare the non-woven fabric.
However, the conventional electrospinning apparatus and process for preparing the non-woven fabric using the same have a disadvantage in that an effect of electric force is reduced because the spinning dope is consecutively supplied to the nozzles having the high voltage.
In more detail, the electric force transmitted to the nozzles is dispersed to the whole spinning dope, and thus fails to overcome interface or surface tension of the spinning dopes. As a result, fiber formation effects by the electric force are deteriorated, which hardly achieves mass production of the fiber.
Moreover, the spinning dope is spun through the plurality of nozzles, not through nozzle blocks. It is thus difficult to control the width and thickness of the non-woven fabric.